Triplett RWC1000KNP User manual

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MODEL RWC1000

A whole new world of testing possibilities!

USER’S GUIDE

Revision 4

REAL WORLD CERTIFIER

TM

CABLE CATEGORY

*DIGITAL TEST

EXIT REVIEW

3* 5* 5E* 6*

Caution when connecting

The Real World Certiﬁ er has two RJ45 jacks ("LEFT","RIGHT"). The

LEFT jack is for testing cables (the

jack is not protected from voltages).

The RIGHT jack is for testing switches

(it is protected from PoE voltage).

Protect the RWC from telephone and

Power over Ethernet (PoE) voltages

by using the "RIGHT" socket when

connecting to these devices and when toning.

Limited Warranty

The manufacturer warrants to the original consumer that this product

is in good working order for a period of one year from the date of

manufacture or date of purchase. During this period the product will

be repaired or replaced without charge for either parts or labor. The

warranty does not cover damage caused by improper use or abuse

including connecting to high voltage. Repair or replacement as provided

under this warranty is the exclusive remedy of the purchaser.

Metric version available with display and reports in metric units.

Real World Certiﬁ er and Real World Certiﬁ cation are trademarks of Byte Brothers.

Microsoft and Excel are registered trademarks of the Microsoft Corporation.

Help with device installation and PoE

Installers of VoIP phones, IP cameras or access

points use the Power Panel for exact measurements

of PoE voltage and power usage, displaying the

presence of 10,100,1000 switches and the pair

location of each. Note: "PoE" (Power over Ethernet)

powers devices over the CAT5/6 cable. Please visit

www.bytebrothers.com for data and videos.

USE <LEFT> PLUG

TO TEST CABLES

USE <RIGHT> PLUG

TO TEST PORTS

MENU

Table of Contents

Section I. Introduction ........................................................ 2

Real World Certiﬁ er list of functions........................ 4

Section II. The Three phases of LAN installation............. 5

Section III.

Faceplate description...................................... 6

Section IV. Documenting testing results......................... 8

Section V. Operation........................................................... 9

Powering up and backlighting................................. 9

Navigation button.................................................... 10

RWC1000 Main Menu................................................... 11

Cable Testing................................................................ 12

Cat 5/6 UTP Cable Testing................................ 12

Cat 5/6 UTP RWC Level 1................................ 13

Cat 5/6 UTP RWC Level 2................................ 18

Reviewing Cat 5/6 UTP Test Results................ 21

Cat 5/6 UTP Basic Test.................................... 30

Coax Testing...................................................... 33

Naming / Saving Test Results..................................... 35

Reviewing/Erasing Printer Memory ........................... 39

Printing from a PC........................................................ 41

Network Testing............................................................ 46

Scan one port................................................... 47

Monitor INLINE................................................. 50

Send Beacon.................................................... 53

Appendix A. Straight thru cable coupler............................. 54

Appendix B. Ping and TCP/IP debugging tools.................. 55

Appendix C. Examples of UTP cable faults........................ 60

Appendix D. Making a correct UTP cable.........................,, 63

Section I. Introduction

Over half of all network problems are caused by faulty cables. And

with network speeds exponentially increasing, the need for affordable,

sophisticated test equipment is more apparent than ever before.

The Real World Certiﬁ er (RWC) and Network Tester is break-through-

technology that brings cable and network certiﬁ cation and testing to

a whole new level of reality. It opens up a whole new world of testing

opportunities to network cabling professionals and managers that, prior

to the Real World Certiﬁ er, could only dream of performing speed tests

on their cable and LAN devices and printing the results.

WORKS WITH UTP AND ALL ETHERNET DEVICES: Unlike traditional

certiﬁ ers, the RWC uses digital circuitry and digital testing techniques to

perform its tasks. These tests include traditional TIA568 cable veriﬁ ca-

tion (length, opens, shorts, split pairs, wire map) for UTP (unshielded

twisted pair) plus RWC's own sophisticated crosstalk, timing and cable

parameter tests that yield a UTP cable's category (CAT3, CAT5, CAT5E,

CAT6) and speed capability (10, 100, 1000 MB)! And if you wish, the

RWC can use your own network devices (hubs, switches, PCs) to test

UTP cables with real live data! And, the Real World Certiﬁ er analyzes

links and data from all types of hubs, switches and PCs. It performs both

single sided tests for advertised speed (10, 100, 1000 MB and duplex)

and inline tests (between devices) for negotiated speed. The engine of

the RWC circuitry is capable of 1 nanosecond resolution.

WORKS WITH COAX CABLE: Use the RWC to test for the length of

the cable, opens, shorts, wiremap and distance to any faults that might

exist. As with UTP, coax can be toned with the toner feature and test

results can be stored for later printer in the RWC's ﬂ ash memory. No

Real World Certiﬁ cation tests are performed on coax cable.

2

What is Real World Certiﬁ cation?

Real World Certiﬁ cation means that a UTP cable passed a prescribed

battery of tests and is therefore not likely to cause problems later. The

Real World Certiﬁ er has two levels of veriﬁ cation/certiﬁ cation:

RWC Level 1: Performed with the Main Unit and the Remote

Probe, Level 1 tests the cable for length; opens, shorts, split pairs

and distance to the fault; wire map (displays cable wiring); NEXT

and FEXT (crosstalk tests); propagation delay (time to transit

cable); skew (time delay between pairs); cable category (CAT3, 5,

5E, 6); and speed projection (10, 100, 1000 MB).

RWC Level 2: Includes all Level 1 tests plus takes advantage of a

real live data source (hub, switch or PC) to test for attenuation and

device type. The result is RWC Level 2 speed certiﬁ cation of the

cable and the LAN device.

Networks are installed in steps. First, cables are installed. Then hubs,

switches and PCs follow. Cables and network interfaces are known as

the physical layer. The higher software layers provide addressing, ﬁ le

transfers. etc. If the physical layer does not work, the communications

layers (software) will not work. Debugging cables, ports and network

software together is time consuming, frustrating and ultimately very

expensive. There are too many unknowns. Real World Certifying cables

eliminates unknowns, making it easier to get a network up and running.

And, once the hardware is operational you can run software layer tests

(ping, etc. ) from any workstation (see Appendix B).

What is the best time to Real World Certify a cable?

The best time to certify a cable is when the installer is still readily

available to repair any faults that are found. Installers should certify

before they leave, so that they will not lose money by having to

return to a job site to do in warranty repairs. Network professionals

should certify before the warranty period expires.

3

The RWC1000 List of Functions

UTP CABLES. Real World Certiﬁ cation Level 1 tests:

✔ Length measurement of each cable pair.

✔ Locates opens, shorts and distance to the fault.

✔ Locates split pairs and the distance to the split.

✔ Wire map. Graphs cables internal pairing.

✔ NEXT (near end) and FEXT (a far distance) crosstalk.

✔ Propagation delay (time for data to travel the length of the cable).

✔ Skew (time delay between pairs).

✔ Cable typing. CAT 3, 5, 5E, 6.

✔ Speed Projection: Displays test results as a graph

projecting the cable’s speed capability (up to 1 GIGABIT).

UTP CABLES. Real World Certiﬁ cation Level 2 tests. Adds:

✔ Attenuation. Graphs level of real live data from PC, hub or switch.

✔ Speed Certiﬁ cation (Level 2). Enhanced speed display samples

real live data on active pairs to the limit of the device (1 Gig).

Note: Level 2 tests use real data from your hub, switch or PC.

COAX CABLES:

✔ Length, open, shorts, distance to fault, tone and wire map.

NETWORK DEVICE TESTING:

✔ Single Sided and INLINE port tests check the ability of the hub,

switch or PC to communicate by displaying their advertised and

negotiated capabilities.

✔ Data signal strength. Single sided test exercises the suspect hub,

switch or PC and displays the data signal strength of active pairs.

NAMING TEST RESULTS, PRINTER AND TONER PROBE:

✔ Naming tests. Test names can be up to 16 characters each.

✔ Toner/probe. Includes a full featured toner/probe. Tones coax and

all 4 UTP pairs to locate wires in crowded wiring closets.

✔ Printer memory. Stores test results for up to 250 UTP and coax

tests for later printing (requires a PC with Excel

®

). USB data

transfer cable and software included.

4

5

Section II. The Three Phases of LAN Installation

The RWC1000 is designed for both the network installer, the network

repair person and the IT manager. The tests used during the three

phases of LAN installation can just as well be used to troubleshoot

LANs that are suffering operational problems.

The installation of a LAN is generally handled in phases. The

cabling is installed; then the switches and PCs are installed; and then

all is connected together. The RWC1000 plays a role during all three

phases, saving countless hours of troubleshooting.

Phase I. Use the RWC1000 during cable installation (before the

switches and PCs are installed). After the LAN cable has been pulled

through the building and terminated, it is good practice to Real World

Certify that the cabling is terminated properly and test that the cable is

proper for the intended use (e.g. CAT5E for gigabit networks).

Phase II. Use the RWC1000 after the switches and PCs are installed.

Before connecting the cables to the switches and PCs, verify that each

switch port and PC are operational. This provides a wealth of information:

It veriﬁ es that the device is ON (i.e. it is transmitting); the speed of the

device (10, 100, 1000 MB/s) ; duplex; and other features.

Phase III. Use the RWC1000 when connecting the cabling to the

switches and PCs. With the cabling veriﬁ ed and Real World Certi-

ﬁ ed (Phase I) and the switch and PCs checked out (Phase II), all that

remains is 1) getting the equipment communicating and 2) verifying

each LAN link is performing at the speed expected. To do this, use Real

World Certiﬁ cation Level 2 to test the cable and port combinations.

And use the Network Tests INLINE capability to connect between 2

LAN devices to verify the negotiated speed of the link.

6

Section III. RWC1000 Faceplate Descriptions.

RWC1000 REMOTE PROBE

The MAIN UNIT connects to any Cat 5/6, coax cable or 10,

100, or 1000 Base-T device and performs a host of tests

needed for their installation and repair. For certain tests, it

can be inserted inline between two LAN devices.

RWC1000 MAIN UNIT

Power and LCD backlighting

Press the recessed power button. To backlight the display,

press the SEL button during the opening screen. The

RWC1000 powers OFF if there is no activity for 10 minutes.

Cursor and SELECT buttons

Use the cursor buttons to select the function to be per-

formed. Press the SEL button to select the functions.

Main Unit Jacks

LEFT, COAX and RIGHT: Use the LEFT jack for UTP

TESTING. Use RIGHT jack for NETWORK TESTING.

Far end cable termination: The Remote Probe's

jack is used to terminate the far end of the cable

when the wire map test is conducted.

The Remote Probe performs 2 functions:

Tracing cables: Use it as an inductive probe to trace

cables with the tone generated by the Main Unit.

"Printer" port

Use to transfer stored testing data (up to 250 tests) to a PC.

Requires Excel

®

. USB data transfer cable included.

➊

➋

➌

➍

➎

➐

➏

7

MAIN UNIT

REMOTE PROBE

9V BATTERY

COMPARTMENTS

RJ45/COAX

ADAPTER

FOR PROBE

➊

➍

➋

➌

➎

➍

➏

➐

8

Section IV. Documenting Testing Results

The Real World Certiﬁ er includes 3 ways to document your test results.

1) A custom tablet can be used to ﬁ ll in the test results (included).

2) "PASSED" stickers can be applied to wall outlets and LAN

devices to Real World Certify their capability (included).

3) Printer Memory that stores test results for up to 250 Real World

Certiﬁ cation tests, basic UTP tests and coax tests for later print-

ing (requires a PC with Excel

®

). A 6' USB transfer cable, driver

and software is included.

Reorder:

RWC1007 (50 sheets)

Reorder:

RWC1011 (96 stickers)

Transfer readings to Excel

®

for

printing (serial cable included).

See the Readme.doc ﬁ le on

CD for USB/serial converter

instructions.

9

Section V

OPERATION

Powering up and backlighting

Note: Once enabled, the LCD will remain backlit until the tester is powered

OFF. The backlight selection screen (above) is always lighted during the

3 second period that it is displayed. This allows you to turn the tester

ON in a dark area and SELECT backlighting during the process.

Backlight selection

screen (lighting the

LCD display)

REAL WORLD

CERTIFIER

REVISION 800K1

SEL BACK LITE ON

TURNING ON: Press the power button (PWR) and

release to turn ON the tester. The "backlighting"

screen appears (above). Pressing the select (SEL)

button while this screen is present turns on LCD light-

ing ("backlighting"). Backlighting is important when

working in dim light but shortens battery life.

10

How to navigate through the Real World Certiﬁ er screen:

PWR. Power ON/OFF (see prior page for backlighting).

SEL (SELECT). Press to perform task. Appears as on LCD.

The UP arrow. Appears as on LCD.

The DOWN arrow. Appears as on LCD.

The SELECT button's function always selects the task. But the function

of the UP and DOWN arrow buttons may change with each screen. For

example, the Main Menu (above) uses the UP arrow button to return

the tester to the MAIN MENU and uses the DOWN arrow button to

scroll the cursor.

The Main unit's navigation button

11

This menu is the gateway to all of the RWC1000's tests. Scroll

the cursor with the down arrow button and press SELECT to

perform the task.

CAT5/6 UTP: Test and Real World Certify UTP cables with or without

LAN devices (hubs, switches, PCs) connected. Perform basic cable

tests on UTP cables. Tone UTP cables. Move the cursor to CAT 5/6

UTP and press SELECT. Page 12.

COAX CABLE: Test coax cables for length, opens, shorts, dis-

tance to fault and wiremap. 2 adapters included. Tone coax cables.

Page 33.

NETWORK PORTS: Perform tests on LAN (hubs, switches, PCs)

devices. Move the cursor to NETWORK PORTS and press SELECT.

Page 46.

PRINTER MEMORY: Printer memory is used to store the results

of up to 250 RWC Level 1, Level 2, basic tests and coax tests for later

printing. Move the cursor to PRINTER MEMORY and press SELECT

if you want to Review the tests stored in memory or Erase memory.

Page 40.

Main Menu

CAT 5/6 UTP

COAX CABLE

NETWORK PORTS

PRINTER MEMORY

EXIT SCROLL SEL

RWC1000

Menu

CAT 5/6 UTP Cable Testing Main Menu

RW CERTIFY ("RWC") UTP: Move the cursor to RW CERTIFY UTP

and press SELECT to start RWC Level 1 testing of a cable. RWC

tests have 2 levels: Level 1 uses the Main Unit and Remote Probe to

perform the Basic Cable Tests (listed below)... plus Speed parameter

testing (10, 100, 1000MB) and Cable Category Testing (CAT 3, 5, 5E,

6). When the Level 1 test is complete, you can choose to continue to

Level 2 and use real data from your own hub, switch or PC to expand

the testing. RW CERTIFY is designed for 4 pair cable only (use BASIC

TEST UTP for other pairings). See List of Functions for a listing of tests.

250 test results can be stored for later printing. Page 13.

BASIC TEST UTP: Move the cursor to BASIC TEST UTP and press

SELECT to test UTP cable for length, opens, shorts, split pairs (plus

distance to these faults) and wire map. BASIC TEST UTP does not

perform Real World Certiﬁ cation. Page 30.

TRACER TONES ON: Move the cursor to TRACER TONES ON and

press SELECT if you wish to energize a cable with a tone (plug the

cable into the Main Unit's RIGHT jack). The Remote Probe detects

the tone at the far end of the cable. This is useful in locating cables in

crowded wiring closets. When selected, tracer tones will stay ON for

one hour. Note: Use the RIGHT jack when tracing unknown cables (it

is protected from accidental high voltage exposure).

RW CERTIFY UTP

BASIC TEST UTP

TRACER TONES ON

EXIT SCROLL SEL

UTP Cable Testing

Main Menu

12

SELECT TEST:

CAT 5/6 UTP

13

CAT 5/6 UTP Cable Testing / RW CERTIFY / LEVEL 1

Follow the instructions. Only an uncoiled cable will give you accurate

test results. At this point in the testing, the far end of the cable should

not be connected to any device. Note: If the cable is connected to a

device you will be alerted to check the far end of the cable. When ready

to proceed, press the down arrow ( TEST).

Error Messages: If there is a problem that stops the test from proceed-

ing, one of the following error messages will be displayed:

CABLE IS ACTIVE: There is an active network port on the far end

of the cable. You will need to unplug it to proceed.

CHECK CABLE END: A voltage is present on one or more of the

cable pairs or the REMOTE PROBE is connected to the cable end

when it is not needed. You will need to unplug it to proceed.

NO CABLE: There is no cable connected or an inactive port is

plugged into the far end of the cable.

Note: If errors persist from test to test, please contact the factory.

UN-COIL CABLE

PLUG OPEN CABLE

INTO LEFT PLUG

DO NOT USE PROBE

EXIT TEST

Press down arrow

button after cable

is connected

CAT 5/6 UTP

RW CERTIFY UTP

Perform Real World

Certiﬁ cation Level 1 (UTP

cables) and Level 2 (UTP

cables and LAN devices)

14

SELECT CABLE

PATCH 20' MIN

SOLID 20' MIN

EXIT SCROLL SEL

The Real World Certiﬁ er has the unique ability to test both cables

constructed of stranded wire (commonly called "patch" cables) and solid

core wire. Scroll to select the cable and press SELECT. How to tell the

difference: If the cable is installed in a wall, it is almost certainly a solid

core wire. Preassembled cable with end ﬁ ttings already attached is

usually stranded cable. Also, stranded cable is more ﬂ exible than solid

wire. If you bend the cable and it does not attempt to spring back to its

original shape it is most likely solid cable. Note: The minimum length

of each cable type is shown on the screen for RW CERTIFY TESTS. If

your cable is shorter than this, use the BASIC CABLE TEST. Once the

selection is made, cable testing will automatically commence.

Stranded or

Solid wire

selection

screen

CAT 5/6 UTP Cable Testing / RW CERTIFY / LEVEL 1

CAT 5/6 UTP

NOTE: Descriptions of all test result screens can be found in

the RW CERTIFY/REVIEW section of the manual.

15

CAT 5/6 UTP Cable Testing / RW CERTIFY / LEVEL 1

CAT 5/6 UTP

During this phase of testing, information about length, opens, shorts,

split pairs, crosstalk, cable category and speed is being gathered and

computed. If there are no cable problems, testing continues until you

are prompted to connect the Remote Probe and perform the Wire Map.

If all is OK, testing will ﬁ nish (the RWC "speed" screen is displayed).

Note: If there is a problem with the cable, the problem will be displayed,

and testing will be halted. The problem must be corrected before testing

can continue. See Appendix C for examples of cables failures.

Complete results are immediately available for Review and Saving after

the test is completed. This "test now, review later" feature greatly speeds

up the test process when you have multiple cable installations.

Time to test: Short-cables take longer to test because fewer measure-

ments per pass are possible. The thousand of measurements required

are accomplished much faster on longer cables than shorter cables.

TESTING CABLE

TEST FOR DATA

*SPLITS

12> 36> 45> 78>

TDR

NEXT FEXT

SPEED TEST PAIRS

12> 36> 45> 78>

Testing progress

is shown on the

screen

Any problems will

be displayed (See

appendix C)

CAT 5/6 UTP Cable Testing / RW CERTIFY / LEVEL 1

16

CAT 5/6 UTP

LEDs

PLUG IN PROBE AT

FAR END OF CABLE

TRACE TONES ON

EXIT

The REMOTE PROBE is required for the WIRE MAP to be con-

structed. Plug the Remote Probe into the far end of the cable. Tracer

tones have been turned ON to help locate cables in crowded areas

(press the TRACE button on the Remote Probe and hold it close to

the cable to follow the tone). The Main Unit's wire map test is triggered

when the Remote Probe is connected to the far end of the cable

(there are no buttons to push). The wire map tests for correct cable

pairing. Note: The wire map is displayed during the Review process.

Not during the test.

Remote Probe LEDs. The Remote Probe

needs to be connected only for a brief period.

Flashing LED(s) indicate the test is progressing.

A steady LED indicates the test is completed.

This saves you an extra trip to retrieve the

probe. If LED(s) continue to ﬂ ash the cable,

the cable has a wiring problem. Disconnect

the probe and go to the Main Unit to see

the see the results. Note: If you plan to test

to Real World Certiﬁ cation Level 2, now is a

good time to plug in the hub, switch or PC (it

will save you a trip).

Testing is halted

until the Remote

Probe is connect-

ed.

CAT 5/6 UTP Cable Testing / RW CERTIFY / LEVEL 1

17

CAT 5/6 UTP

RWC Level 1 ﬁ nal

screen (when you see

this, Level 1 is com-

pleted and available

for review)

When the above screen appears, the Level 1 RWC is complete. If

you select REVIEW/SAVE, you will enter the Test Results Option

Screen. To discard the test results immediately, select EXIT.

EXIT SCROLL SEL

REVIEW TEST

SAVE READINGS

RWC TEST PORT

EDIT TEST NAME

REVIEW TEST: Vie

w results from the Level 1 test. After the review, you

may return to this screen to NAME/SAVE the results. See page 21.

SAVE READINGS: Store the test results in PRINTER MEMORY for

later printing and do not continue to Level 2 testing. The next sequential

Reading Number (1-250) will be assigned along with any name that

has been created (see EDIT TEST NAME below).

RWC TEST PORT: Continue to Level 2 certiﬁ cation. Requires a PC,

hub or switch to drive the cable. See page 18.

EDIT TEST NAME: Create a name (not required) that is stored with

the sequential reading number. If you continue to Level 2 you will have

another chance to create a name. See page 35.

EXIT: Discards the test results and returns to the Main Menu.

<<< PASSED >>>

*DIGITAL TEST

EXIT REVIEW/SAVE

3* 5* 5E* 6*

Test results

option screen

FAQ: What is the difference between Level 1 and Level 2 and when do

I use it? Level 1 certiﬁ cation tests for length, opens, shorts, split pairs

(including distance to the fault) along with propagation delay, skew,

NEXT, FEXT, and Cable Category measurements. Level 1 testing uses

simulated digital signals to test the cable. Level 2 adds to the testing

with the use of real live data from a NIC, hub, or switch. Use Level 1

for new cable installations or anytime a LAN device (hub, switch, PC)

is not available.

18

CAT 5/6 UTP

Real World Certiﬁ cation Level 2 adds to the battery of tests conducted

in Level 1 by testing the cable with real live data. The source of this data

can be any hub, switch or PC. Note: The screen (above) reminds you

that the best source of data is a gigabit device. A gigabit device drives

the cable with data up to a gigabit (1000 MB) on all 4 pairs.

Connect the port to the cable and press to continue with Level 2.

PLUG IN PORT

GIG PORT MAY

RW CERTIFY TO

10M 100M 1 GIG

EXIT CERT 2

If you have selected

to continue with Real

World Certiﬁ cation

Level 2, this screen

appears.

CAT 5/6 UTP Cable Testing / RW CERTIFY / LEVEL 2

RW CERTIFY UTP

LEVEL 2

Perform Real World

Certiﬁ cation Level 2 (UTP

cables and LAN devices)

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